What are you after? Stuff for your use or others? What is your budget? Are you open to buying used high end stuff vs new cheap stuff?

You could look at products by ART, like the Tube MP. They are not high end equipment, but they are of a good quality for the price.

http://www.artproaudio.com/

The best 'bang for the buck' unit for the level of work you describe would have to be the 800R Mackie Onyx. Eight channels of very decent pres and digital outs....Whats not to love?

I second the Mackie vote,
but I have to disagree with the ART.
I think you will find better products in the APHEX line.

ART is not particularly admirable stuff. Those little "euro" mixers like the Behringer UB stuff have preamps that are fine for anything but audiophile mania. For compressors I always look at dbx first; they have the moves, they know what they're doing. Although my Ashly compressor sounds best on my own voice.

+1 for the Mackie pre amps.

Best bang for compressors is the Alesis 3630 ($99) that everyone seems to hate. It is THE top selling compressor in history! And a lot of great music was made with this compressor. Much of that is for the jingle market however...

I prefer the software compression available from Cubase SX to the Alesis. But for a hardware solution, next up the ladder is FMR Audio's RNC ("Really Nice Compressor" @ $199). It is quite transparent, and the "Super Nice" mode is worth the price of admission all by itself!

I prefer opto compressors that add character, but aren't necessarily transparent. The better DBX comps fit this category, and are quite good (I have some experience with the now ancient 160).

I prefer to avoid a VCA compressor/limiter. I think good character is part of rock n roll! Therefore, the opto compressors are first choice. The two best known (as far as I know) would be the LA2A (new or old) and Ted Fletcher's Jow Meek compressors. The latter of which I have hundreds of hours experience with. Great stuff!

Anyway, there is no one answer for this stuff. "Making do" is one of the boundries that defined The Beatles Sgt Pepper's album. So, by that token, get what you can afford and learn to use it, and make the best recordings you can. Lots of great RnR was made with just a handful of Shure SM57s and cheap recording gear. So, have at it!!